Apparatus for molding bricks, blocks, and tiles



R. S. SlNK 'March 31, 1942;

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BRICKS, BLOCKS AND TILE 3 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May3, 1959 Russell/6156705 R. S SINK March 31, 1942.

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BRICKS, BLOCKS AND TILE Filed May 3. 1939 15Sheets-Sheet 2 flame; 5. saw,

March 31, 1942. R. s. SINK 2,277,789

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BRICKS, BLOCKS AND TILE Filed May :5, 19:59 3Sheets-Sheet 3 WW 8% Z 6 w w \ms h L U w Patented Mar. 31, 1942APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BRICKS, BLOCKS, TILES Russell S. Sink, Laramie,Wye.

Application May 3, 1939, Serial No. 271,578

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of bricks, blocks, tiles andlike articles from clay, concrete or other plastic materials, andparticularly to the manufacture of hollow blocks, pipes and sewer tile.

In the production of molded articles of this character the plasticmaterial, when formed by ordinary methods in molds of the desired sizeand shape, has been found to contain so large a percentage of voids asto interfere seriously with the strength and smoothness of the product.Elimination of these voids, to secure greater compactness of thematerial in the molded products, has been attempted by shaking orvibrating the molds in various ways during the molding process, and byapplying pressure to the material while in the mold.

The pressure method has been used in the making of hollow, as well assolid, blocks, bricks and tile. For compacting the material of thehollow products the mold cores, instead of being stationary, have beenso arranged and operated as to move into the plastic material in themold and create the necessary cavity therein by a pushing, boring orwedging action. Carrying out this idea the material has been subj ectedto an accompanying vibration through the vibration of the moving core,which, in such instances, has been operated by electricity or compressedair, in a manner resembling the actuation of the well known electric orpneumatic hammer or vibrator. In compacting devices of this characterthe movable core is in effect a rammer, but is incapable of producingcompactness of material to the desired degree because its vibrations areonly axial movements and do not operate laterally or radially to applycompressive force in the direction in which it would be most efiective.

Radial or circumferential expansion of the rammer has been proposed, butdevices of this sort, generally composed of relatively movable sectionsdesigned to move outwardly by centrifugal action, have been complicated,expensive, difficult to maintain in operative condition, and of littleor no value from a practical standpoint.

My invention has for its principal object the molding of articles, suchas bricks, blocks, tile, pipe, etc., from plastic material in such amanner as to leave practically no voids and produce articlesofexceptional strength and smoothness.

An important object is the provision of an improved method of moldingbricks, blocks, pipes, etc.

Another object is the provision of a machine including a device forefiecting a higher degree of compactness of the plastic material inhollow blocks, bricks, tile and other plastic products than hasheretofore been attained.

Another object is the provision of an improved form of a compactingdevice, adapted to be embodied in a rammer for molded articles, such assewer pipe, hollow blocks and tile, and bricks, blocks and the likewhich have cavities or recesses therein.

Other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparentto those skilled in the art from a contemplation of the invention asdescribed hereinafter.

My invention basically resides in the idea of compacting plasticmaterial in a mold for forming blocks, brick, hollow tile or pipe byrammingthe material with a compacting device which has a gyratorymovement. This generally gyratory device is essentially a rammer, andwill, with this understanding of the meaning of the term, he sodesignated.

My gyratory rammer forms an essential and the most important element ofmy invention, and, in its preferred embodiment, is incorporated inmachines of novel construction for the production of pipes, hollow tileand similar hollow articles, and also articles which are not strictlyhollow, but contain cavities of various shapes and extent. Wherever theterm hollow appears in the specification or claims, it should beunderstood as referring to articles which are entirely hollow, e. g.,sewer pipes, or articles which, although not entirely hollow, have (oneor more) recesses, cavities or depressions therein.

Broadly stated my invention consists in a molding apparatus including amaterial compacting device having a generally gyratory motion, and amethod of molding by generally or substantially gyratory compactiveaction.

More specifically the invention comprises the means by which thegyratory motion of my improved rammer is produced, via, thestructure andarrangement of the rammer in relation to the other parts of the machine,including an unbalanced fiy wheel. Still more specifically the inventionhas to do with the structure of the unbalanced fly wheel and itslocation and arrangement with relation to the rammer and its operatingmeans.

My compacting device, rammer or core is pivotally or resilientlysupported adjacent the mold a path about the axis of the point ofsupport of the rammer, whatever the cross-sectional shape of the rammer;a rammer circular in cross-section, when operating under load in a moldfilled with material, takes a substantially cone-shaped path; while arammer of a different shape, e. g., square or hexagonal incross-section, takes a path which is substantially pyramidal-shaped, thepath generated varying according to the cross-sectional shape of therammer. In the operation of a ramming element of square, hexagonal orother flatsided shape, the action of the free end of the rammer, becauseof the restraint placed upon it by the material in the mold, is acombination of bumping (or hammering) and sliding. In other words, asthe unbalanced fly wheel revolves the weight on the fly wheel (thespecific means disclosed for causing the gyratory movement) throws therammer against one portion of the inside face of the tile or block andthen, as the rammer revolves or gyrates about its axis of support, thatface of the rammer slides on the hole surface and strikes anotherportion of the hole surface and continues in this manner around the holesurface, the bumping and sliding of the flat l,

faces tending to produce fiat hole faces and forming a hole in thematerial which is larger in crosssection than the cross-section of therammer. The result of this manner of compactive action of the rammerconstructed and arranged as described is that the material in the moldis very compact and has a smooth trowelled surface.

The invention will be fully understood from the description of theillustrative embodiments specifically disclosed, taken in connectionwith the drawings showing said embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevational view, partly broken away and partly insection, of my invention embodied in one form of hollow tile machine.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of another specifically differentform of hollow tile machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical elevational view, partly in centralsection, of the valve construction shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the pipe connections between the valveand cylinders shown in Fig. 1.

My invention, as embodiment in a hollow tile machine, comprises anopen-ended mold supported (either vertically or horizontally) on asuitable frame or base, and a core in the form of a rammer supported inalignment with the core opening of the mold, the rammer and mold beingarranged for relative reciprocation. In effecting such relativereciprocation either the mold or the rammer, or both, may be movedtoward or from the other. Any suitable power driven or handoperatedmeans for effecting this relative reciprocation may be employed, thespecific form of means not being a part of my invention.

Two illustrative forms of hollow tile mold are depicted in the drawings.That in Fig. 1 shows the mold so arranged as to be movable downwardlytoward or upon the rammer, while the Fig. 2 form has the relativepositions reversed, the mold being movable upwardly toward the rammer.

In each of these embodiments of the invention, the mold is moved byfluid-pressure means while the rammer remains stationary except for itsgyratory movement. In other contemplated embodiments of my invention,however, the mold may remain stationary or both the rammer and the moldmay be moved. Also, the relative move merit of the mold and rammer maybe produced by suitable gearing or other mechanical or electrical means,instead of by the fluid-pressure means illustrated.

The mold may be of the well known sectional type, formed of two or morehinged sections, but a unitary mold may be used, in which event it maybe secured to one of the frame members and suitable ejecting meansprovided for removing the compacted material upon completion of themolding operation and separation of the clamping frame members.

In the hollow brick or tile machine illustrated in Fig. 1 a mold I0,preferably of sections [Ila connected by hinges Ifib and open at eachend, is supported in vertical position on a vertically movable frame bybeing clamped between frame members I, 2. Frame members I, 2, at eachend have preferably integral collars I6 embracing and slidably engagingstandards I! securely positioned in and supported in upright position bysockets I8 in a base 3. If desired either of the members I or 2 may beclamped, through collars I6, .to standards I1 and the other frame membermoved relative to it for clamping and unclamping the mold I0.

Any suitable means for raising and lowering the mold frame may beemployed. Cams or other power-actuated devices or even hand-operatedlevers, may be used, the specific means illustrated being intendedmerely as an example of such suitable means and in order to complete thedisclosure of an operative machine. In the drawings this means comprisescylinders 4, 4 and 5, 5 disposed beneath the frame, which cylinders maybe operated by hydraulic, pneumatic or steam power, for respectivelyclamping the mold I0 between members I, 2 while the tile is being rammedand moving members I; 2 and mold I0 downwardly and upwardly during thecycle of movements which constitute the ramming and molding operation. 7

Cylinders 4, 4' are preferably piston cylinders in which operate in theusual manner piston heads I9 on piston rods I5 fixedly secured to framemember I by clamping nuts 20 and passing through an opening 2| in framemember 2 to permit'relative slidable movement betweenframe member 2' andpiston rod I5. Opening 2| may be provided with suitable packing, such asthe packing gland I2I;

Cylinders 5', 5 separated from cylinders 4, 4' by the usual cylinderheads, have working in them piston heads 22"on piston rods 23 secured tobase 3 by nuts 24.

Suitable connections and valves are provided in association withcylinders l, 4 and 5, 5 for ad mitting fluid pressure to the cylindersin such manner as to force frame member 2 upwardly sliding on pistonrods I5 to clamp themold II) between frame members 2 and I, andtoalternately raise and lower cylinders 5, 5 (and the cylinders 4, 4,frame members 2, I and mold I0 supported thereon), the raising andlowering movement being effected by the sliding of the cylinders 5,5.upon piston rods 23. The apparatus illustrated, comprising one ofvarious possi-' ble arrangements, includes valve casing I30 connectedwith a suitable pump or other source of fluid pressure (not shown) bypipes I31, I32 secured in openings I3 Ia and ISZa, respectively, and byp'ipes I33, I34 and I35, I36.with the opposite ends of the pistonchambers of cylinders 4, 5 respectively. Valve I39 may be of anysuitable type or construction, that shown by way of illus-' trationcomprising a pair of pistons I31 controlling the openings to pipes I33,I34, I35, I36, and preferably manipulated by hand levers I38.

For compacting the plastic material in mold Ill duringthe moldingoperation ramming means are provided in the form of a gyratory rammer 9so supported as to be introduced into the mold II] and removed therefromin the course of the molding operation. Rammer 9 is preferably taperedat its free end So, the degree and extent of taper being variable as maybe necessary or desirable in the use of the machine for moldingdifferent materials.

The rammer 9 may be supported in various ways by which it may be given agyratory movement in a substantially cone-shaped path, when rotatedwithout load, before the mold is filled with material to be compacted,and in a path which, dependent upon the cross-sectional shape of therammer, may be either substantially conical or substantially pyramidalwhen the rammer is rotated under the load of compacting the moldmaterial. In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated, therammer 9 is secured to the cover 36 of a casing 3| carried by a tubularmember 32 supported in upright position on base 3, but capable oflimited lateral movement. Various expedients for affording or permittingsuch movement may be used, that illustrated comprising the mounting oftubular member 32 in a stirrup 32a secured upon a resilient plate 32b ofspring steel or other suitable material supported on spaced blocks 32con base 3.

A shaft 33 within tubular member 32, rotated by suitable power throughdrive pulley I, serves as the driving means for the rammer, the rotationof shaft 33 and of the fly wheel 6 within the casing 3| imparting to thecasing and to the rammer 9 mounted thereon a gyratory movement arisingfrom the unbalanced condition of the fly wheel caused by the presence ofone or more unbalancing weights 8, which may be of lead or othersuitable metal. The generally gyratory movement imparted to the rammerwhen the latter is without load takes the form, in the rammer 9 and itssupporting tubular casing 32 as a whole, of a movement in asubstantially coneshaped path about an apex which is the point ofpivotal or resilient support of the casing 32 and shaft 33 on base 3;when loaded, i. e., when operating in a mold filled with material to becompacted, the rammer 9 and casing 32 move about their point of supporton base 3 in a substantially pyramidal-shaped path.

The construction and mode of operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1and 2 are identical, the principal difference between the two formsresiding in the relative positions of the mold and rammer. In the Fig. 2form the mold I is mounted on its frame members BI, 62 and cylinders 64,64, and 65, 65 to move upwardly on standards 'II guided by arms I6 tocause the introduction of the rammer 69 into the mold chamher.

In Fig. 2 the mold is shown, by way of example, as a unitary mold, withone end closed, for the making of tile with one solid or closed end,suitable for use as trim tiles at the corners of buildings and arounddoors and windows; the closure for the closed end may be a rigid plateor pallet II against which a plunger I2 may be moved by any suitablemeans for ejecting the molded article when the molding operation iscompleted and the mold and rammer have been separated.

It is to be understood, however, that my invention may be applied to anysuitable type or form of mold, whether open at one end or at both ends,and whether of one piece or sectional.

In the operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. l the valves areactuated by manipulation of the proper handle I38 to admit fluid tocylinders 4, 4 to clamp mold In between trame members I, 2. Concrete orother plastic material is then introduced into the mold through openingI2. The mold and its clamping frame members I, 2 are then lowered, therammer 9 in this way being introduced into and through (or substantiallythrough) the mold I0, suitable clearance of the rammer in opening I3permitting the gyratory movement of the rammer when so positioned.Opening I3 is closed by a pliant diaphragm I3a having an aperture I3bthrough which rammer 9 may pass. I

Operation of the shaft 33 by drive pulley I, modified by the unbalancedflywheel 6, sets up gyratory motion which is transmitted from shaft 33through bushing 34 of bronze or other suitable material, casing 3 I, andcover 30 to the rammer 9 fixed to the cover. The gyrated shaft, beingpivotally or resiliently secured at one end to base 3, moves in asubstantially cone-shaped path about its point of support, this pathbeing modified to substantially pyramidal when the rammer is polygonalin cross-section and operated under load. The rammer, by its gyratorymovement in a substantially cone-shaped or pyramidal-shaped path, ramsthe plastic material outwardly against the mold as the latter descends.Any surplus material is pushed by the rammer out through opening I2 anddeposited on frame member I, as the end of the rammer projects throughthe opening. When the mold has reached its lowermost position the valvesare operated to reverse the action of cylinders 5, 5 and cause the moldI0 to ascend. Either at the end of this upward movement, or after thedownward and upward movements of the mold have been repeated one or moretimes (to secure successive packing operations of the mold material bythe rammer), the cylinders 4, 4 are operated to unclamp frame members I,2 and release mold III, which may then be stripped from the moldedproduct. To repeat the molding cycle thus completed, the mold III isreplaced and clamped between frame members I, 2, the mold I0 is filled,and downward movement of the mold I0 and frame members I, 2 inaugurated.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is operated in a similar manner. Cylinders64, 64 and 65, 65 are actuated to clamp mold Ill between frame members 6I, 62 and to raise the mold, thus causing the introduction of rammer 69,which has a gyratory movement in a substantially cone-shaped orpyramidal-shaped path caused by the unbalanced flywheel on the anchoreddrive shaft 93 operated by power applied through drive pulley 61, theconstruction and operation of the drive shaft, unbalanced fiy wheel andrammer being as shown and described in connection with Fig. 1.

The gyrating rammer rams the plastic material solidly outwardly againstthe retaining mold, leaving a cavity in the product of the samecrosssectional shape as the rammer, but larger than the rammer becauseof its amplitude of gyration, which, of course, may be varied byaltering the structure and manner of mounting the rammer and by varyingthe dimensions of the fly wheel and the weight and location of theunbalancing weight or weights 8. The depth of penetration of the rammerinto the mold will depend upon the particular plastic material used andthe volume of material in the mold.

When the molding operation is completed the molded article may beremoved from the mold by separation of frame members 6|, 62, and openingof the hinged mold sections [a (if a sectional mold is used), oroperation of a suitable ejector 12, against a rigid diaphragm or pallet7 I, slidable inside the mold covering opening I42.

The mold may be round, square, hexagonal or of any desired cross-sectionand its vertical contour need not be straight nor vertical. It may be ofsuch cross-section that a plurality of brick or tile may be madesimultaneously and by one operation, by the use of one or more rammers.Likewise, the rammer may be of any desired crosssectional shape, butmust be round, square, hexagonal or of such vertical contour that it maybe withdrawn after the ramming operation. By the use of molds closed atone end and suitable regulation of the extent of entry of the rammerinto the mold, the machine shown in Fig. 1 or that shown in Fig. 2 maybe operated to produce thoroughly compacted brick, block or tile havingone or more cavities or recesses of different depth, as desired.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a stationarysupport, a mold mounted on said support and having an opening in itsbottom, a core resiliently secured at one end on said support anddisposed in vertical position beneath said mold with its free endprojecting within said mold through said opening, and means coaxial ofsaid core and below said mold opening for imparting to said corematerial-compacting motion in a generally circular path and transverselyrelative to the walls of the mold.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a mold having an openingtherein, a stationary support, a tubular casing resiliently mounted atone end on said support, in alignment with said mold opening, anelongated rammer supported on the free end of said casing in axialalignment therewith and projecting through said mold opening, the freeend of said casing and said rammer being free to move in a substantiallycircular material-compacting path about the resilientlymounted end ofsaid casing as an apex, a rotatable shaft within said casing in axialalignment with said mold opening, power means for rotating said shaft,and an unbalanced flywheel on said shaft between the mounted end of saidcasing and said mold opening for imparting to said casing and saidrammer motion in a substantially cone-shaped path, the motion of saidrammer in such path being a material-compacting motion transversely ofthe walls of said mold opening.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary base, a moldmounted on said base, said mold having a vertically-disposed opening inthe bottom thereof, a tubular casing pivotally mounted at one end onsaid base beneath the mold and in vertical axial alignment with saidmold opening, a rotatable shaft within said casing in vertical axialalignment with said mold opening, an unbalanced flywheel on said shaftand enclosed within said casing below said mold opening, an elongatedrammer mounted on the other end of said tubular casing in vertical axialalignment therewith and projecting into said mold through said moldopening, and power means for rotating said shaft and said flywheel andthereby imparting to said casing and said rammer material-compactingmotion in a substantially cone-shaped path about the pivot mounting ofsaid casing as an apex, the materialcompacting motion of said rammer ina substantially cone-shaped path being transversely relative to thewalls of the mold opening.

RUSSELL S. SINK.

